Theme 3: Sunrise
by Adriannu255
Summary: After the group stays at the Curtiss mansion in Grand Chokmah for the night, Tear has an interesting morning encounter with the Colonel. Jade/Tear. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Part of AnnamaeTezuka's 100-Theme Challenge on Deviantart.
1. Chapter 1

**PLEASE READ!** This is in response to AnnamaeTezuka'a 100-Theme Challenge on Deviantart. I will be doing ALL 100 themes though I will try to do them along with my other in-progress stories. I will not be posting them in any particular order, excluding Theme #100, which will be the last one I post. Each theme will be posted as a separate story, and not all will be in the same fandom. I will try to keep it varied on the fandoms, but these will be mostly based in whatever fandom holds my interest at the moment. It also will take a long time to get each story posted as I am a wonderful procrastinator! ^.^'

Adriannu255: So, I woke up at 4:52 am today, and had the sudden to write. I dragged myself out of bed grabbed my writing materials and stumbled into the living room, sat next to the window, and began to write this… My first Tales of the Abyss fic! And it is about a _massively_ underappreciated and unknown pairing: Jade/Tear! Yes, you read that right! It is not a typo! Jade Curtiss and Tear Grants! This is one of my favorite pairings of all time and I figured it was about time I contributed to their miniscule fan base. I apologize in advance for any OOCness!

Also, this was inspired by LifeEqualsMusic's fic, Your Eyes. If you haven't read it, do so now! It is wonderfully written!

One last note before starting: this is set in Episode 12 of the anime, the morning after Guy has revealed his past, and before the group has gone to meet Emperor Peony. Now, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the 100-Theme Challenge. That belongs to AnnamaeTezuka on Deviantart. Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco. If I owned TotA, I wouldn't have to worry about not being able to pay off my student loans, now would I!

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Theme #3: Sunrise

Grand Chokmah, the Floating Capital…

It was still dark outside, but Tear knew the sun would be rising soon. She had never been able to see the sunrise or sunset over the horizon when living in Yulia City. Such sights were always blocked by miasma and the Outer Lands in the Qliphoth. That is why after coming to the Outer Lands, Tear always secretly admired these wonderful sights when she saw them. Before coming to the Outer Lands, she had only seen pictures, and when she was visiting Daath for the first time at the age of fourteen, she saw her first sunrise and sunset and realized the pictures did not do them justice…

It was for this reason that Tear was leaving the Curtiss mansion at the crack of dawn to go watch the sunrise. The Colonel had graciously allowed them to stay at his home in the city, rather than unnecessarily wasting money at the inn. As an added bonus, they would be getting free breakfast out of it, so no one objected to his offer.

"Leaving so early, Tear?" a smooth voice questioned as she closed the front door. "We won't be meeting with Emperor Peony until _after_ breakfast, you know?"

"Colonel Curtiss," Tear quickly turned and saw Jade standing a few feet away, in front of the mansion. She hadn't seen him at first as he was not wearing his uniform. He was clothed only in the black dress shirt and pants that he wore beneath his uniform and his boots. Considering the darkness of both his clothes and his surroundings, it was no wonder she could not see him immediately. Caught off guard by his appearance, Tear stumbled over her words, "I-I was just…uh…" she hesitated to reveal what she was doing at such an early hour. She had managed to hide it from everyone throughout their travels thus far. She looked away from him.

"…You want to watch the sunrise, right?" Jade questioned. Tear whipped her head back up to look at the Malkuthian Colonel. How had he…? Jade laughed quietly at Tear's shocked expression. "You're easy for me to read, Tear. And, also, you've been discreetly watching the sunrises and sunsets every chance you get."

Tear sighed and, once again, looked away to hide the embarrassed blush that began to spread across her cheeks. "I should have known that you would take notice after finding out that I'm from the Qliphoth, Colonel."

"To tell the truth, I noticed before then. I just took more notice after you and Luke rejoined us," Jade admitted with a grin. His grin slowly faded to a frown. "And Tear?"

"Hmm?" Tear tilted her head slightly, reeling a little from the fact that Jade had been watching her so closely while they travelled.

"Please, call me Jade," Jade sighed. "You don't have to address me so formally." He placed a hand against his forehead wearily. "Especially, when it's just the two of us."

"But, you're-" Tear was quick to object, but Jade turned his back on her sighing again in…was that disappointment? She cautiously approached him and when she reached his side, she took a moment to study the Malkuthian's features. He certainly did not have the look of a 35-year-old. He had the look of a man in his mid-twenties, at most. Tear had to admit, he was very attractive man. If only his personality was as pleasant as his appearance… As he leaned against the railing, Tear moved her gaze from his face to his arms, noting how well-toned they were. His work in the military definitely kept him in shape. She found herself wondering, to her embarrassment, how it would feel to have those strong arms holding her against his hard chest… _Stop it, Tear!_ she yelled inwardly at her racing mind. In an effort to stop thinking about _that_ she looked back at his face and saw the rather frustrated look in his blood-red eyes, gazing to the east from behind his glasses, and remembered his request. "Alright…Jade…" she finally relented, "but only when it's just the two of us. Is that acceptable?"

Jade's young-for-his-age features softened as he smiled, a genuine smile for once, as he answered, "Yes, it is."

A small amount of light caught Tear's eyes. She turned her head, following Jade's gaze with her own. A yellow glow was outlining the horizon, beginning to push back the navy blue of early dawn. Tear smiled unconsciously as she watched. It seemed to take an eternity for the sun itself to appear. But as it did, Tear was surprised when she felt a cold wind rush in from the sea, chilling her bare arms and hands and through her uniform. She shivered, though she tried to hide it, by wrapping her arms around herself. She was startled, yet didn't protest, as Jade placed his arm, rather hesitantly, around her shoulders. She moved closer to him in an effort to get warm. Her mind immediately rushed back to its earlier train of thought… _This _does_ feel nice…_ she admitted to herself, as her blush intensified to such a degree she was certain Jade would be able to feel it through his shirt. Trying not to focus on how close she was standing to _Jade_ of all people, she returned her gaze to the sunrise.

By now, the top half of the sun was visible over the sea, its brilliance reflecting off the surface of the water and painting it various shades of yellow, gold, and orange. The sea and sky seemed to blend into one creating the illusion of a wave of fire towering over them. The horizon was glowing beautifully, and the Floating Capital began to glow just like to sea, the water surrounding and flowing throughout the city causing the light of the sun to be reflected into every corner, every alley, and every home.

She did not know how long they stood there, silently watching the sunrise together, but the sun had fully risen by the time Tear came back to her senses. She quickly backed away from Jade who, sensing her discomfort with their current position, allowed his arm to fall from her shoulders. They looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments.

Faster than tear could react, Jade approached her and gave her a very brief, chaste kiss on her cheek. Without a word of explanation or a glance back, he walked back inside.

Tear stood frozen staring after Jade. She slowly lifted her hand and placed it against her cheek. She could not imagine how red her face must be now, considering how hot it felt against her cold hand. She briefly entertained the idea that she had imagined the kiss. It was so brief and fleeting, but the feeling his soft lips left on her skin felt real enough. She _knew_ she had not imagined what had just transpired. Colonel Jade Curtiss, Jade the Necromancer, had kissed her cheek in the light of the sunrise…

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Adriannu255: Okay, before you yell at me, yes I know Jade was OOC! I have plans to explain that in another theme! I will also be doing a continuation of this with another chapter and then again with another theme! We seriously need more Jade/Tear on this site! Please review! I love reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy! I especially appreciate constructive criticism, but not flames!


	2. Chapter 2

Adriannu255: This took many sleepless nights to write… I started writing this a few days after posting chapter 1 and thought I'd never get it done. But I didn't want to disappoint anyone by leaving this unfinished, so I _really_ hope you guys enjoy the finished product! Unless there's a large demand for a third chapter, this mini-fic is finished, but you can expect more Jade/Tear from me in the future!

Also, special thinks to LifeEqualsMusic and lodn- 102 for reviewing! I love you two!

This chapter is set at the beginning of Episode 17. Everyone has just learned that Tear's fonons are tainted with miasma.

Please, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this fic! I already have YouTube on my case, so _back off_, copyright snakes!

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Chapter 2

After that kiss in Grand Chokmah, Tear had not been able to muster the courage to confront Jade about it. She had tried to convince herself to do it multiple times, but she just did not know how to go about it. Jade, of course, never addressed the issue and acted as if nothing had happened. Tear did not know why, but this disappointed her.

Tear eventually decided to put it in the back of her mind for a while, and turn her attention to lowering the Outer Lands. She had been worried when she began to feel almost constant pain after checking the Passage Ring in Tataroo Valley, with no explanation for it. She did not complain, though. She could not show any weakness; she would be a poor soldier if she did. While the pain did not seem to get any worse, it was not going away either. She stopped her little 'ritual' of watching the sunrises and sunsets in favor of sleeping, as she often felt unusually exhausted. Then, she collapsed on the Tartarus after they fought Sync in the Planet's Core.

The next thing Tear knew she was waking up in the medical center in Fon Machine Lab One early in the evening, with a nurse checking in on her.

"Oh, Miss Grants, you're awake," the nurse started a little upon seeing Tear's eyes open. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I was before," Tear replied, noticing the pain had greatly decreased, but was still present. "What am I doing here? What happened to me?"

"I'll go get Dr. Shu," the nurse hurriedly replied. "He will explain everything." The nurse quickly left.

As she waited, Tear glanced out the window from the bed, with a worried expression. The moon was glowing beautifully in the navy-blue, star-filled sky. She would never be able to stop admiring these celestial beauties…

She heard the door creak open and turned back to it and met the concerned gaze of Dr. Shu. "Good evening, Miss Grants. How are you feeling?"

"Better than before," Tear repeated herself. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Only a few hours," Shu replied. "Your friends said that you passed out shortly before they brought you here."

"Where are they?" Tear continued hurriedly, wanting to join them as soon as possible to let them know she was alright. She was embarrassed that she had completely collapsed in front of them.

"They are staying at the inn for the night. Don't worry," Shu looked away with a sorrowful look.

"Doctor," Tear asked softly, "is there something I should know?" She was not entirely sure that she wanted to know the answer.

Shu sighed. "Miss Grants, you have been feeling pain for almost a week now, correct?" When Tear nodded silently, he continued. "That is because when you and your companions travelled to the Sephiroth, your body absorbed seventh fonons that are tainted with miasma. That is what caused the Passage Ring to become active once more. There is no known way to cure you." Tear's mind went blank upon hearing this. "The best we can do is give you medicine to suppress the pain, but the miasma is slowly destroying your internal organs. The medicine should keep it under control and you alive, but if you continue to activate the Passage Rings using this method, your body will continue to absorb more miasma, and you will almost certainly die."

It took a while for Tear to process this news. She stared at Shu blankly as she absorbed the information. Finally, she responded, "Do the others know?" She had a difficult time keeping the tremor out of her voice. Shu only nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Shu." She looked away hiding her saddened expression.

"I'll be back to check on you in the morning, then," Shu nodded shortly, before leaving Tear alone with her thoughts.

Tear returned her gaze to the moon with renewed awe. _I suppose wonders such as this seem much more beautiful when you know you're going to die…_ She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up walking over to the window and looked out over Belkend. Most of the lights in the city were off. Only a select few buildings remained lit, plus the streetlights. _I don't want to die, but there is no other way to activate the Passage Rings… I suppose that my life is a small price to pay for saving the lives of all the people of the Outer Lands…_

Tear was so lost in her thoughts that she almost did not notice the quiet knock at her door. She turned as the door opened, and was shocked beyond words, but also happy, to see the Colonel walk in. He looked impeccable, as always, in his commander's uniform, and the moonlight shining in through the window gave his pale skin an ethereal-like glow. The Colonel looked surprised, but relieved, to see Tear awake as he closed the door quietly behind him. "Are you sure you're well enough to be out of bed?" he asked quietly with concern.

Tear looked down, replacing the small grin that appeared with a neutral look. "Yes, Co- Jade…" She corrected herself quickly, reminding herself of her promise to address him by name when they were alone. "I know I should be resting, but…"

Jade approached Tear silently, his blood-colored eyes conveying understanding. "…but you can't sleep, right?"

Tear did not reply. She only averted her sapphire-blue eyes from his. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to be worrying about her, especially Jade. He had his own problems to deal with.

"You should have said something to us, Tear," Jade gently scolded her. "Travelling around like this might have worsened your condition. Who knows what could have happened if we had gone to the other Passage Rings before getting medicine for you? You could have…" he stopped himself from finishing. His tone was strained, she noticed.

"I just didn't want anyone worrying about me," Tear tried to explain. "I didn't think anything was fatally wrong with me."

"Tear, you _never_ tell us when something is wrong, so we always worry about you," Jade continued so quietly Tear had to strain to hear him. "I- _we_ wouldn't worry so much if you were just a little more open…" Tear was curious at his correction from 'I' to 'we'. This curiosity was quickly overshadowed by the annoyance she felt at Jade, the man who hardly ever showed his true thoughts or feelings on anything, telling her to be more open.

"You're one to talk," she said quietly, realizing too late that she had spoken out loud. One look at Jade confirmed that he had heard her. His eyes widened briefly before they both looked away awkwardly. Tear then recalled what former Field Marshal McGovern had said to Luke on the Albiore: _"Jade rarely scolds people. He only did it because he's taken a liking to you."_ "I'm sorry, Jade." Tear's voice seemed to echo in the silence that fell over them. "You're just scolding me because you actually care, right?" She smiled again. It had been getting progressively more and more difficult to stay angry or annoyed with him the more time she spent around him. She also felt her stomach do flips whenever he looked at her, and his gaze would seem to soften ever so slightly.

She could see a faint blush appear on his cheeks in the moonlight. "…Perhaps…" he responded. He glanced at Tear and saw her smiling gently. "I'm sorry, too. You're right. I can't say anything about you not being more open when I'm the same way."

Tear's smile fell. She turned to the window once again. As Jade walked over and stood next to her, Tear wondered at why he had come. He couldn't have just been checking on her.

As if in answer to her thoughts, Jade spoke up, "Are you prepared?" He did not need to elaborate. There was no question in Tear's mind about what he was asking.

"We don't have enough time to figure out another way to activate the Passage Rings." Tear kept her eyes on the city. "If I have to die in order to preserve the Outer Lands, I'm prepared to do so. That's my job as a soldier. You know that."

She heard Jade sigh next to her. "I won't try to stop you. I don't want to make this any harder for you." Tear felt her eyes burn slightly with tears, but managed to keep them from appearing. "But I also won't stop you from running. I don't want to see you suffer if you aren't prepared for it."

_Why does he care so much?_ Tear jumped when she felt something touch her shoulder. She looked at her shoulder and saw Jade's gloved hand was placed on it. His touch felt warm and comforting. She turned her body to fully meet his gaze and her mind went back to that morning in Grand Chokmah that seemed to have taken place an eternity ago. _Ask him now!_ her mind screamed to her. "Jade?" she began hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"There's something I've wanted… to ask you about…" Tear paused to organize her thoughts. Simply being in his presence made it hard to think. "That morning in Grand Chokmah, when you and I watched the sunrise together…" She blushed slightly.

Jade stiffened minutely and his hand tightened slightly on her shoulder, though not uncomfortably. "Yes?" If Tear was not mistaken, his voice held a trace of worry.

"Why did you kiss my cheek?" Tear finished in such a rush she was worried Jade would not understand her.

Jade looked back out the window, but did not pull his hand away. "I would…prefer not to answer that…" he replied uneasily. "I'm afraid it would just make things awkward."

Tear's eyes hardened as she stepped closer to Jade. "I believe I deserve to know your reasons, Jade!" She was becoming too irritated to care about staying quiet.

Jade looked at her for a moment with an emotion Tear had seen in his eyes only once: in Grand Chokmah… She did not allow her surprise to show through her irritation. Although she could feel a similar emotion spark inside of her, she always ignored it as she did now. "Very well, I suppose you do." Tear was stunned that he gave in so quickly. Usually he would dodge around giving explanations by telling someone else, A.K.A. Guy, to explain, or completely ignore it with some witty, sarcastic comeback. Maybe he was going to be open with her? "It was…something I had wanted to do for a while, Tear." He watched her, as though gauging her reaction, his body still turned toward the window.

"But _why_ would you want to kiss me?" Tear asked again, gentler this time. Now they were getting somewhere. "You've never given any indication that you wanted to kiss me before."

Jade let out a growl of frustration. "Tear, do I need to spell it out for you?" Both of his hands clamped down on her shoulders as he turned to face her fully.

"That would be preferable, yes," Tear replied immediately.

Jade closed his eyes, contemplating his options, but remained silent. Tear was about to give up on ever getting an answer out of him, when Jade pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. She gasped and felt her blush intensify ten-fold. She felt as if her body had frozen leaving her unable to do anything. Her mind was spinning, unable to form coherent thoughts. To say she was surprised would be the understatement of the century!

The kiss seemed to last forever, but in truth only lasted a few brief seconds. As he touched his forehead to hers, Jade looked into Tear's wide eyes silently. His eyes were blazing with that previously unidentifiable emotion that Tear had been seeing. She now knew what it was. She felt that same emotion flare up within her, begging to be released. She could no longer ignore it. She placed her hands on Jade's shoulders, closed her eyes, and kissed him. He stumbled back slightly in surprise, before responding. Tear felt one of his hands cup her cheek, while the other drifted down to the small of her back, holding her against him, but not daring to move any lower.

Tear broke the kiss, but didn't pull her body away from his. She leaned her head against his chest, smiling contently. She felt Jade rest his cheek on top of her head, and his arms wrap around her as he asked, "Does that answer your question?"

She giggled, something she rarely did, as she answered, "Yes, but I want you to say it."

She could hear Jade's answering smile when he obliged her request, "…I love you, Tear." He added in a whisper, "I always will."

Tear felt a few tear's fall from her eyes as that reminded her of her inevitable fate. Nevertheless she didn't allow her smile to fade, though it was now marred by sadness, as she tightened her arms around him. "I love you, too, Jade."

Jade held Tear and comforted her until she fell asleep. He stayed by her bedside, refusing to leave her alone now. He would come up with an explanation for the others in the morning.

Both of them were oblivious to the red-haired replica that had been eavesdropping right outside the door…

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Adriannu255: Well, there you go! I've had that scene in my head for a while now, but just didn't know how to make it work. I hope it was at least acceptable for all of you. It is now 4:26 AM and I am exhausted. Now that I have finished this I can rest well. But just in case you guys want another chapter I left it open with Luke there at the end… Expect more Jade/Tear fluffiness in the future! And if anyone is interested, I've posted some Jade/Tear videos on YouTube! Yay for self-promoting...or whatever! ^.^'

Anyway, please review! Flames will be laughed at and ignored, but constructive criticism is appreciated!


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